At Home With Harry

Chapter One

**Charlie's POV**

That’s the last of my packing. I’m finally done.  I’m finally moving out from my parent’s home. The past year has proven hell at home and it’s about time I got myself a new place. Only thing is, I have to share with someone. I don’t know who, but apparently they are the same age as me. I just hope we get on well. Dragging my suitcases downstairs is proving to be a nightmare, but mum’s at work and dad is on a business conference in Milan, so it’s just me, myself and I. I need to get used to it, anyway, now I’m an independent woman. Young woman, might I add.

Pulling up to the block of flats, I have slight butterflies in my stomach. I just hope the girl I’m supposed to be sharing with is a friendly person who’s not one of the bitchy types. I hate those kinds of girls. It’s good to see we have designated parking spaces at the flats, though. Trying to park in our old street was a nightmare. Apparently, it’s always hard to park in a street full of terraced houses, but I wouldn’t know. I barely drive anywhere that has one.

The building is tall and looks like a skyscraper. There’s revolving doors at the front, which is going to make it a bitch to get my luggage through. Oh, crap, I was right. Geez, you’d think there’d be a little help around here. After struggling with getting my suitcases through what felt like a challenge on one of those stupid game shows, I finally made it into reception. Everything seems white. White tiled floor, white walls, white tables, just white. Oh, except the leather sofas. They’re black.

“Hi, I’m Candace, how can I help you?” smiled the receptionist.

“Hi, I’m supposed to be moving in today.”

“Okay, what room number?”

“Twenty-five.”

Her manicured hands began gliding across the keyboard as she began to take my details in.

“Okay, here are your keys. Your flatmate is already upstairs. Have a nice day!” she beamed.

“Thanks.”

No offer to help with my luggage, then. How nice of this place. I dragged my luggage to the elevator and typed in my floor number. I had already visited a short while ago, to have a look at the flat. It wasn’t perfect, but it was somewhere I could deal with living.

The lift doors opened and I was on my designated floor.  After dragging my suitcases yet again, I finally reached twenty-five.  My keys fiddled with the lock on the big brown door and I let myself in. Whoa. Whoever my roommate is, she’s a messy one. Her stuff is all over the living room and we’ve not even been here a day. At least she doesn’t seem to be girly- not one bit of pink in sight.

“Hello?” I called. “I’m Charlie, I’m the other roommate!”

“I’ll be there in a second!” called a deep voice.

Deep? I thought I was sharing with a girl?

In walked a curly haired, tall guy, flashing a white toothy smile towards me.

“Hi, Charlie, I’m Harry,” he smiled as he held his hand out to greet me.

“Oh… uh… hi…”

“Sorry, is there a problem?”

“Well, it’s just I assumed… you’d be a… a…”

“Girl? Haha, not likely! Though, I can have my feminine side, if that’s anything to you?”

“Just as long as you don’t suffer from PMS and don’t bitch, I think we’ll be fine,” I smirked.

“Hmm, well I don’t PMS, but I can’t promise about the bitching!”

Well, he seems bearable. I think I’m going to survive here.

“Anyway, there are three bedrooms; one is classed as a spare. I took it upon myself to take the smallest room, so you have a good pick for what you’d like to use. Hope that’s okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Thank you for considering me during your bedroom choice.”

Generous, too. I think I’ll like it here.

“Welcome. I don’t have long before I have to go to the recording studio, but tonight, I was thinking if we order out and maybe get to know each other and you know, lay down the rules?”

“Recording studio?” I couldn’t help but question.

“Yeah, with the guys.”

I stood there, looking blank.

“Ah, I take it you’ve not heard of me?”

“No offence, but am I supposed to have?”

He chuckled to himself.

“Nobody has to.”

“Okay…?”

His phone began to ring.

“Ah, I better make a move. Nice meeting you, Charlie. I’m sure we’ll get on pretty well!” He smiled.

And with that, he was gone.

Hmm. He seems nice and generous. He already seems more inviting to live with than my parents. Looking around, the room was slightly cluttered with Harry’s stuff, along with a scruffy-looking sofa, a small, portable TV and a coffee table.  Nice. Whoever decorated this obviously didn’t have much taste. It’ll do for now, but I think we’ll need to decorate the place at some point. I don’t want to look like I’m living in some sort of squat.

 Three hours had passed and I had opted for the bedroom with the city-scape view. I like having a room with a view. It can be somewhat inspiring and intriguing to look at. Most of my unpacking was complete and- unlike that Harry kid- I managed to keep it pretty clean. Sitting on the sofa, flicking through daytime TV shows wasn’t my ideal way of spending the day, but I had nothing else to do. So I had popped over to the corner shop, got myself a Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food and watched The Jeremy Kyle Show, mentally criticising the idiots that were on the show.

“I’m home!” called out a voice, causing me to jump.

“Jesus, don’t do that!”

“Sorry, I didn’t think I’d scare you!” Harry chucked.

He came and took a seat next to me on the sofa as I moved my legs so I was sitting in an upright position.

“So, how was your day, then?”

“Oh, you know, nothing interesting. I unpacked, then headed to the local corner shop to get some ice cream and then planted my butt on the sofa to watch some daytime T V.”

“Very productive!” he chuckled.

“And you?”

“Oh, it was alright. Just did some work and that’s about it.”

“So, what is it you do, exactly?”

“Put it this way… I sing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Go on then.”

“What?”

“Sing a line or two.”

“What, now?”

“Yeah, why not?”

He smiled for a moment before he began to screech lyrics to Walking on Sunshine. I laughed as I clutched my ears.

“So, what do you think?”

“Well… it was interesting!”

We both burst out laughing.

“You know… that wasn’t my real singing voice.”

“You could have fooled me!”

“Oh aren’t you the smart one?” he said with sarcasm.

“You could say that.” I grinned.

He began to smile back. His face reminded me of someone. For some reason, that someone was Peter Pan. I have no idea why, mind. I had the slightest feeling that this guy was decent and was going to be interesting to live with.